Paul McCartney: ‘George Bush Took Away Freedom’

Paul McCartney has criticised George Bush saying that the American President has taken away the true meaning of  ‘freedom’ post 9/11.

Talking about his song – also entitled ‘Freedom’ – which was written in the wake of the terrorist atrocities in America, McCartney blamed “militant” connotations behind his decision to remove it from his current set list.

The Beatle said: “I thought it was a great sentiment, and immediately post 9/11, I thought it was the right sentiment. But it got hijacked. And it got a bit of a militaristic meaning attached itself to it, and you found Mr. Bush using that kind of idea rather a lot in (a way) I felt altered the meaning of the song.”

McCartney then went on to reveal the true meaning behind the song. He said: “It was written from the point of view of, as I say, someone coming from a repressive, like let's say, European Jew coming to America. He just got away from Hitler. That kind of thing. Or that - in all its forms. That particularly happens in America. It happens here in the UK, but America I would reckon is global target of people escaping oppression.”

The singer did add that he hoped to include the song on his set list when he tours America again next year, but displayed reservations due to the association with the President’s current policy.